Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Assen Vassilev: Rumen Radev's action in defence of Gazprom is a disgrace for the presidential institution

Photo: BGNES

President Rumen Radev has referred to the Constitutional Court the decision by Sofia to impose a gas transit fee, but this will not stop the implementation of the law and I am waiting for the first revenues on November 14, said Finance Minister Assen Vassilev. He added that all states using the gas transit network through the country would have to verify whether the fuel was of Russian origin.
The minister accused the head of state of defending Gazprom rather than the national interest. "The national interest is the interest of the Republic of Bulgaria, not the Russian Federation or Gazprom," he stressed at a briefing. 
Assen Vassilev insisted that Rumen Radev's decision was against the policy of Bulgaria and its government and was a disgrace to the presidential institution.
PM Nikolay Denkov
Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov also commented on Rumen Radev's decision to appeal to the Constitutional Court. "The president is in no way protecting Bulgarian interests, and whether he is protecting foreign interests - everyone can think for themselves. Maybe he is protecting the interests of other countries - Russia, Hungary, Serbia, I don't know, but he is not protecting Bulgaria's interests," he said from Brussels. 

The prime minister recalled that all the information about Bulgaria's decision to charge a transit fee for Russian gas had been sent to the European Commission, but no one there had said that it was not legitimate.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

National Assembly to elect heads of State Intelligence Agency and State Agency Technical Operations

On a proposal by the Council of Ministers, the heads of the State Intelligence Agency and the State Agency Technical Operations will, from now on, be elected by the National Assembly, BNR’s Maria Fileva reports. This means the president’s powers..

published on 10/10/25 2:45 PM
Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov

Three new Siemens Smartron locomotives put into service

Three new electric locomotives Siemens Smartron are entering service as of today, Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov has announced. Two of them will be running along the Sofia-Burgas line, and one – along the Sofia-Russe line. The new..

published on 10/10/25 2:24 PM

European commissioner for agriculture says vaccinating animals is last resort

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Minister of Agriculture Georgi Tahov and Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen inaugurated the reconstructed main irrigation canal Trakiets near Konush village.   The reconstruction increases..

published on 10/10/25 1:12 PM